Job 8
1 Then Bildad the Shuhite replied:
Then responded Bildad the Shuhite, and said: —
2 “How long will you go on saying such things? The words of your mouth are a blustering wind.
How long wilt thou speak these things? Or, as a mighty wind, shall be the sayings of thy mouth?
3 Does God pervert justice? Does the Almighty pervert what is right?
Should, GOD, pervert justice? Or, the Almighty, pervert righteousness?
4 When your children sinned against Him, He gave them over to their rebellion.
Though, thy children, sinned against him, and he delivered them into the hand of their transgression,
5 But if you would earnestly seek God and ask the Almighty for mercy,
Yet, if, thou thyself, wilt diligently seek unto GOD, —and, unto the Almighty, wilt make supplication;
6 if you are pure and upright, even now He will rouse Himself on your behalf and restore your righteous estate.
If, pure and upright, thou thyself, art, surely, now, will he answer thy prayer, and will prosper thy righteous habitation:
7 Though your beginnings were modest, your latter days will flourish.
So shall thy beginning appear small, —when, thy latter end, he shall greatly increase!
8 Please inquire of past generations and consider the discoveries of their fathers.
For inquire, I pray thee, of a former generation, and prepare thyself for the research of their fathers; —
9 For we were born yesterday and know nothing; our days on earth are but a shadow.
For, of yesterday, are, we, and cannot know, for, a shadow, are our days upon earth:
10 Will they not teach you and tell you, and speak from their understanding?
Shall, they, not teach thee—tell thee, and, out of their memory, bring forth words?
11 Does papyrus grow where there is no marsh? Do reeds flourish without water?
Can the paper-reed grow up, without a marsh? Or the rush grow up, without water?
12 While the shoots are still uncut, they dry up quicker than grass.
Though while still, in its freshness, it be not plucked off, yet, before any kind of grass, it doth wither:
13 Such is the destiny of all who forget God; so the hope of the godless will perish.
So, shall be the latter end of all who forget GOD, and, the hope of the impious, shall perish:
14 His confidence is fragile; his security is in a spider’s web.
Whose trust shall be contemptible, —and, a spider’s web, his confidence:
15 He leans on his web, but it gives way; he holds fast, but it does not endure.
He leaneth upon his house, and it will not stand, he holdeth it fast, and it will not remain erect.
16 He is a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden.
Full of moisture he is, before the sun, and, over his garden, his shoot goeth forth:
17 His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.
Over a heap, his roots are entwined, a place of stones, he descrieth;
18 If he is uprooted from his place, it will disown him, saying, ‘I never saw you.’
If one destroy him out of his place, then will it disown him [saying] —I have not seen thee.
19 Surely this is the joy of his way; yet others will spring from the dust.
Lo! that, is the joy of his way, —and, out of the dust, shall others spring up.
20 Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.
Lo! GOD, will not reject a blameless man, neither will he grasp the hand of evil-doers:
21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with a shout of joy.
At length he shall fill with laughter thy mouth, and thy lips, with a shout of triumph:
22 Your enemies will be clothed in shame, and the tent of the wicked will be no more.”
They who hate thee, shall be clothed with shame, but, the tent of the lawless, shall not be!
